The present invention relates to heat exchangers that are generally configured comprising a number of internal fluid or gas passages disposed within a surrounding body. In an example embodiment, the internal passages are designed to accommodate passage of a particular fluid or gas in need of cooling, and the body is configured to accommodate passage of a particular coolant, cooling fluid or gas used to reduce the temperature of the fluid or gas in the internal passages by heat transfer through the structure of the internal passages. A specific example of such a heat exchanger is one referred to as a shell and tube exchanger, which can be used in such applications as exhaust gas cooling for internal combustion engines.
Referring to FIG. 1, a shell and tube heat exchanger 10 generally includes a tube bundle 12 formed from a plurality of individual tubes 14, i.e., internal passages, that are aligned together, positioned next to one another, and that have one or both openings at the tube ends 16 positioned adjacent one another. The tube bundle 12 is disposed within a surrounding shell 18.
The shell is configured having an inlet 20 and outlet 22 to facilitate the passage of the coolant into and out of the shell. Referring now to FIG. 2, in a single-pass shell and tube heat exchanger, the tube bundle 12 is configured so that the tube ends 16 pass through or are positioned adjacent respective ends 24 of the shell. In a dual or multi-pass shell and tube heat exchanger, the tube bundle is configured having one or more 180-degree bends at one of the tube ends to facilitate passage through the shell more than one time.
Referring back to FIG. 1, a tank or manifold 26 is attached to each end of the shell 18 and each serves to direct the flow of fluid or gas into and out of the tube bundle. Referring to FIG. 2 again, a header or tube plate 28 can be attached to the tube bundle adjacent one or more of the tube bundle ends 16 to form a connection or attachment point between the tubes in the tube bundle and/or between the tube bundle and a respective end of the shell. As best shown in FIG. 3, the header plate 28 serves to connect the individual tubes 14 in the bundle together, connect the tube bundle to the shell 18, and provides a seal between the shell and the tube bundle so that coolant within the shell does not escape. The tank or manifold is typically attached by weld to the header plate to provide a fluid-tight transfer of fluid or gas from the tube bundle.
In a shell and tube heat exchanger configured for use in exhaust gas cooling, exhaust gas is passed through the plurality of tubes within the tube bundle for cooling by use of a coolant such as water that is passed through the shell, and thus placed into contact with the outside surfaces of the tube bundle tubes. In an effort to increase the heat transfer capability of such shell and tube heat exchangers, the outside surface of the tubes within the tube bundle are sometimes configured with fins extending therefrom. A fin is understood to be any extended surface contacting the tube for the purpose of improving heat transfer. For example, for flat tube heat exchangers, the fins may be separate pieces that are sandwiched between the tubes.
While the presence of such fins can operate to improve the heat transfer characteristics of the tubes, they can also operate to trap debris flowing within the coolant that can cause an unwanted pressure drop of the coolant through the heat exchanger. Such unwanted coolant flow restriction through the heat exchanger can cause the coolant, when provided in the form of a liquid, to boil and thereby further reduce the heat transfer capability of the heat exchanger.
It is, therefore, desired that a heat exchanger be constructed in a manner that provides improved heat transfer performance without the unwanted potential for trapping debris on the cooling side that can produce an unwanted pressure drop therein. If is further desired that the hear exchanger be constructed in a manner that produces a desired turbulation of the cooling medium, to thereby improve heat transfer within the heat exchanger. It is further desired that the heat exchanger be constructed in a manner that provides a contact surface among adjacent tubes within the tube bundle to produce improved structural support to protect against damage that can be caused to the tubes within the tube bundle or tube stack by vibration loads. It is still further desired that such heat exchangers be constructed using materials and methods that are readily available to facilitate cost effective manufacturing and assembly of the same.